Hawaii Athlete Hearing From Washington
The hiring of defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe bolstered the Washington Huskies' recruiting efforts in Hawaii, and while they haven't landed any commitments there has been progress.
Kekaula Kaniho, a 5'11, 170-pound athlete from Kahuku High School (Kahuku, Hawaii) has been hearing from Malloe recently and visited UW last summer. While Washington is taking only one safety due to another small class, Kahiho still is intrigued by UW.
"That would be a huge offer," Kahiho said of Washington. "I went to their camp this past summer so I've seen the campus and met the coaches. It was nice - with the great facilities and the lake right there."
While Washington continues to evaluate Kaniho two other Pac-12 programs - Colorado and Washington State - have already extended offers. With the Cougars' having a strong presence already in the Island State and defensive line coach Joe Salave'a on staff, the WSU offer made a strong impact.
"The offer was huge for me because it's another opportunity to play ball in the next level and the Pac-12," he said. "That's a powerhouse conference. He [Salave'a] said they're losing some seniors in the backfield on defense. So they're excited to get me up there and hopefully contribute early."
The Cougars offered Kaniho as a safety and having been interested in him for a while, WSU is in a good place now that they've offered. In addition, the Hawaii prospect is planning on making a visit to Pullman this summer.
At this point in his recruitment he's still keeping his options open, but the Cougars' offer has his attention.
"The coaches have been in touch with me a lot and we have a great relationship," Kaniho said. "But I'm looking into all of the schools right now to see which one fits me best. Wazzu is definitely a great place and the plans they have for me there match up with the goals I have for my life."
Vanderbilt and Hawaii have also extended offers to Kaniho. Arizona, UNLV and Utah State have also expressed interest as well in addition to Washington.